Jim! Jim! Oh, where is that boy? Oh dear, with our resident Men of War expert on sabbatical we've been left ill-placed to cover developments on 1C's latest instalment in their usually clever'n'careful WW2 squad-strategy series. Well, Men of War: Assault Squad 2 is out now on Early Access, so I guess the brave and the bold can find out whether it's any cop themselves, if they're prepared to chance a twenty spot on it.
]]>It's true that I have special feelings about the original MOWAS, so to see a 2 put at the end of that strong, militaristic string of words makes a happy boy. The sequel was announced today with the promise that "Men of War: Assault Squad 2 features new single player style skirmish modes that take players from extreme tank combat to deadly sniper stealth missions." Of course multiplayer remains at the heart of it, as DigitalMindSoft explain: "To truly bring the battles to life though there is the new 8v8 game mode designed for huge battles on spectacular maps." Eight versus eight! Holy shit. That revamped engine had better optimise the hell out of proceedings, of there's going to swearing at Rossignol HQ.
]]>The super-secret RPS data-surveillance project OBLONG has been of great boon to us over the years, and most recently snooped the news that a new Call To Arms tech demo video had been released to the "internet". Having sent our agents in to observe the recording, we can now say that the modernised Men Of War really does now include graphical tricks such as smooth cascade shadows and high-poly baked normals. Underwhelming the though the video is, we are forced to ask: does this constitute a threat to our way of life? If the Men of War games were anything to go by, we would suggest that it does.
Now if only we could see some more gameplay.
]]>At the end of last year we were pleased and then surprised to find that DigitalMindSoft were making a "spiritual successor" to the Men Of War games set in the modern world. Call To Arms, as it is called, baffled us a little by kicking off with a crowd-funding appeal, which seems to have gained little traction. Concerned to learn more - because Men Of War is a favourite game series of mine - I thought it might be good to talk to the developers and ask about their plans: would they go to Kickstarter? And would the GEM engine be updated? I talked to Chris Kramer.
]]>The team behind Men Of War: Assault Squad have announced that they've released a demo for their Game Of The Year edition, and you can get that demo here. They report that "It contains 3 playable missions (USA, Germany, Soviet Union) and 1 introduction mission." This was one of my favourite games of last year - a multiplayer and skirmish remix of Men Of War that was eminently playable with or without friends. The GOTY edition simply throws in all the DLCs that came out for it, too. If you like tanks and using your mind to send tiny men to their deaths, then you should give this quite a serious whirl.
]]>In retrospect, I should probably have made more of a fuss over the superb Men Of War: Assault Squad, because it was one of my favourite experiences of last year. Yes, it was a co-op/multiplayer remix of the original, and all the DLCs meant the pleasure was sort of fragmented, but actually I spent many meticulous hours playing through this game both solo and with my MoW-playing friends, and the result is always one of the best RTS experiences I can think of. The original game and all the DLCs are now being bundled together in a Game Of The Year edition. 1c explain: "The pack totals 25 skirmishes, over 50 multiplayer maps, 5 playable nations, over 100 infantry weapons and over 200 vehicles." It only seems to be on GamersGate so far, but I expect it will pop up elsewhere today.
I've posted the most recent devs versus game video below to provide the clueless with a taster.
]]>Men Of War: Assault Squad's men of development have sent word that they expect to fling an update at the game later this week. There's also going to be more DLC to follow, and then more to follow that, if they word of DMS' Chris Kramer (below) is to be believed. Which it is.
He also says: "we are discussing a new title for the series, which is an entire rework of the present game from the ground up", which is quite, quite exciting.
]]>This week I've been submerged in the murky jungle waters of forthcoming real-time tiny-men commander, Men Of War: Vietnam. 1c sent over four levels from the full game, and I've played through them. I've given a little overview of each of these level below, and have discovered that my description represents a sort of plan of the increasing degrees of excitement that I am experiencing. In fact, I've drawn a graph.
]]>My aim? In the reach zone. My fingers? Poised over the old word-piano ready to impart the following vague but important snippet of Men of War news. In addition to toiling away on MoW: Vietnam, MoW: Condemned Heroes (a standalone title based on the activities of a Soviet Penal battalion), and more DLC for Assault Squad, 1C are currently planning Men of War II. It's very early days yet, but last week in Prague, series producer Sergey Gerasev dropped some interesting hints as to possible directions.
]]>PLEASING UPDATE: Ah, I got the wrong end of the stick. I have two of five missions to play with. There's actually going to be one for each faction. That makes this 350% more exciting!
Ooh, I love a bit of Men Of War: Assault Squad, and now I have a bit more of it. Two new (as yet unreleased) skirmish scenarios have been dropped into my grasping hands by the chaps at DigitalMindSoft. Plenty more on this, below.
]]>Men Of War: Assault Squad has had another patch, which fixes up some balancing issues and adds a couple of new vehicles. You can get the patch here if you need to. There's also some paid-fo downloadable content now available, which is a pack of five new maps for assault zones multiplayer mode. Sigh. I love this game.
]]>We've got ten Steam codes for excellent real-time co-op strategy Men Of War: Assault Squad to give away, courtesy of 1c and DigitalMindSoft. Not only that, but we'll be arranging some co-op games for the winners, at some point, as well as for anyone else who wants to get a bit of Assault Squad going. In the meantime, if you'd like to explain why you should win a copy of Men Of War: Assault Squad - and we will need good reasons from everybody - email us at this address, with the subject, "To Win Some Men", before the end of Tuesday 12th April.
]]>Want to hear me, Rob Zacny and Julian Murdoch talk about Men Of War, and specifically Men Of War: Assault Squad, for almost an hour? No, okay. Well if you do know anyone who does then they can tune into the latest episode of the Three Moves Ahead podcast right here. We talk about Men Of War. A lot. I think I repeat myself, and probably lose the thread a bit, before saying something profound. (No tea for an hour!) It's a fun time.
]]>Men Of War: Assault Squad just got a big old update, which you can download here. I took the opportunity to have a quick chat with DigitalMindSoft's Chris Kramer about the launch of the skirmish and multiplayer-focused strategy title, which I reviewed here. Read on for Kramer's thoughts on how the game was received, DLC, the problems with a large beta test, and what still needs to be done.
]]>A little bit of a world exclusive, this one. We were lucky enough to be the first publication to get our hands on the complete build of Men Of War: Assault Squad, and I've been reviewing the hell out of it. I've already been spending a lot of time on the beta, but now we've been able to look at the full thing. And it's kind of awesome. Up front I want to say one thing: people who were worried about the skirmish and multi-player focus detracting from the single-player challenge have nothing to fret about. The fifteen skirmish maps are all excellent, and are close to constituting a new campaign in their own right. But there are some caveats to that, obviously. Here's Wot I Think.
]]>This is excellent news! There's a demo available for the new Men of War game (out Feb 25th) and you can get it here. It's not really clear which level the demo is, but I am guessing it's the first one, where the USA attacks a Japanese fortified position. I played it last night, in fact, because I have a build of the full game. Related to that last fact: a big old bit of writing is coming up. You'll be able to read it soon.
]]>Men Of War is one of my favourite RTS games, because it's brilliant. The new skirmish/multiplayer version of the game, Assault Squad, is currently in an open beta. If you have even the vaguest interesting in ordering tanks and tiny men to their deaths, then you should have a go at it. 1c also send word that digital and retail copies will be available February 25th. So not long to go! The co-op games played in the previous beta were among my gaming experiences of 2010 - as detailed here - so I can't wait for this game to be on general release.
]]>Hooray! The MoWAS Steam group finally hit 10,000 people, and the open beta has commenced. DigitalMindSoft say: "Players will be able to try out the new skirmish game mode on two maps with up to four players, and play other popular online game modes such as Assault Zone, Combat and Frontlines, which have all been improved. For instance players can now use Special Units throughout the entire battle."
]]>Competition time again, this time via DigitalMindSoft and Men Of War: Assault Squad. While both RUSE and Starcraft 2 have made us rather merry recently, it's actually the newly returning star of Men of War that has made me, personally, most happy. I've raved about it. Twice. Now though Men of War: Assault Squad's beta testing phase, which has kept me amused for countless hours across the past couple of months, is recruiting a select few extra people. We have twenty beta accounts to give away. What you need to do is to mail us via this link, keeping the subject line "Tiny Hero, Big Pockets" and tell us what you have in your inventory. The most amusing or poignant entries, as judged by the RPS compo-corporal, will receive details on how to claim their beta account. Closing date Monday 20th. But there's more! If the MOWAS Steam group hits 10,000 people it will go into an open beta. Frankly, we all want that. Join the MOWAS Steam group here.
]]>While the rest of the world seems to have been turning on the axis of Starcraft, I've been playing Men Of War: Assault Squad with RPS chums Phil and Dartt. It's mostly excellent. The game is in beta at the minute, with a busy contingent of testers playing both the co-op and versus modes of this new skirmish-based Men Of War game. That beta test is set to expand very soon, which is an exciting time. (Which reminds me, we will have some beta accounts to give away soon, so watch for that.) I've already written a bit about the game here, but I don't think I really explained how the game feels to play, and why it has take up so much of my attention. Read on and I will try to articulate some of my excitement.
]]>...if 10,000 people sign up to the Steam group. Hmm, I'm a little conflicted by this. On the one hand I want you all to sign up so that Men Of War: Assault Squad can have an open beta, simply so that you can see how awesome it actually is. And on the other, well, they should just have an open beta! I've already rambled a bit here about how superb the co-op missions are, and I feel like I should talk more about the special units, such as conscription for the Russians, or the epic tank battles, or the incredible details that make the thing come alive. I've been playing the hell out of the closed beta and it's sitting at the top of my contenders for game of the year right now. I know certain other RTS games are dominating the headlines, but this is ten thousand times more absorbing. It's going to be a nutritious feast of a game. I'll write more about it next week. In the meantime, go sign up!
]]>Yesterday afternoon, Phill and I managed to spend some time initiating the deaths of historical combatants in Men Of War: Assault Squad, which is the forthcoming multiplayer reworking of tactical cleverness simulator, Men Of War. We weren't picky: Americans, Britons, Germans, Russians, they all took their turn on the field of co-op glory that is Assault Squad's skirmish mode. Read on to find out what it was that we discovered.
]]>DigitalMindSoft's CEO Chris Kramer recently got in touch with us to insist that we talk to him about recently announced co-op/skirmish semi-sequel Men Of War: Assault Squad. We let out a long sigh, to pretend we weren't puppyishly excited, and then began our questioning. You can discover the results below.
]]>
